Perfection is Overrated (Working Title)
by Violet Rose of Darkness
Summary: Celeste Wayne and Rex Stewart are two children of four of the Justice Lords. Their lives should be perfect, yet they can not sit back and watch as their parents strip everyone of their free will and human rights. They start conspiring against them in an effort to free humanity, but at what cost?
1. Chapter 1

**This is just a little experiment I've been working on. Enjoy!**

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 _ **~Celeste Wayne~**_

Perfection.

It had always been expected from her. Ever since she could remember, she needed to look nice, act pleasant, and speak only when spoken to at all times. She, of course, had to have the best grades, join the most clubs, and play the most sports in school. It went without saying, it always did. She never questioned or argued with her parents, only did as she was told.

Perfection. Oh, how she despised the word. Everything in her parents' little world was perfect. But it was forced. They controlled people with fear. They demanded loyalty and obedience from everyone on the Earth. Anyone who broke one of their laws, no matter how small, were either punished severely or executed. Life was bleak, for lack of a better term.

Her mother and father were hardly ever home, which meant she almost never saw them. But that was okay, she didn't need either them. Because she had a secret. A secret she's kept since she was five. A secret that only one other person knew about.

Whenever her parents would leave the house, she would sneak down to the Batcave and hack into her father's files. She would watch all of his recorded footage of their old fights (on and off the Justice Lords) when crime used to be a regular thing and she would study them. She would study both of their fighting styles and their techniques and practice them on her own.

It wasn't just her parents either. She would study her father's old protégés (two Robins and a Batgirl) and do her best to master their unique styles of fighting as well. She could feel it in her muscles, she was becoming stronger everyday. She thought that one day she would follow in her parents' footsteps and do the great things that they did.

Looking back, she wondered how she could have been so naïve.

She was around nine when she had made a horrible discovery. There had been a third Robin. He had come before Tim Drake, but after Richard Grayson. His name was Jason Todd, all of his files being hidden in a tougher encryption code than the others. He had been killed by a rather gruesome enemy, The Joker, only to be brought back by the late Ra's al Ghul. He had then taken up the mantle "Red Hood" shortly after, quickly taking over Gotham's drug selling businesses and killing criminals.

She looked on in horror as, years after, her own father, the man she had looked up to all her life, cornered him one day, her mother and uncle flanked behind him. Tears streamed down her face as she watched him fling a bat-a-raang into Red Hood's chest and simply looked on as his body fell to the ground and he bled out until he died.

She had paused the video and abruptly stood up, not being able to watch anymore. She wanted desperately to punch a wall in, but restrained herself. Losing her head would do her no good in this situation. Yet these thoughts didn't stop the anger that swelled in her. Jason Todd didn't do anything that any of the Justice Lords didn't do, so why had he been killed? More importantly, how could he do that to his protégé, his own son?

A terrifying thought came to her. If she ever acted out, if they found out what she had been doing for the past four years, would her parents kill her as well with as little remorse?

Her eyes narrowed as she decided that she would never give them the chance to. She would work herself harder, make herself stronger, faster. She would learn to properly control her powers and use them to her advantage. One day, she would be strong enough to face her parents.

And when that time came, she would end their rain of tyranny once and for all, no matter what the cost.

OoOoOo

 _ **~Rex Stewart~**_

It wasn't always like this. Well, he didn't think it was. He vaguely remembered a time that not everything was so restraining. His parents and the rest of the Justice Lords weren't so hostile or controlling. And...there wasn't always six of them. There used to be seven, he thinks. He vaguely remembered a red and yellow flash whirling around in front of him, but he couldn't remember who exactly that was.

His own parents weren't as strict as his friend's; he got less than stellar grades and he sometimes slipped up and talked back, something that she never did because she knew the consequences of doing so. Either way, he knew his parents loved him as they weren't afraid to tell him. It wasn't very often that they did, but it was enough.

He played sports to make up for his grades, hoping that he would get a scholarship to college that way. Though, who really needs a scholarship when your parents are two of the most feared people on the planet? All in all, he life was decent. Which was more than he could say for his friend.

He was the only one who knew her secret. That she wasn't as perfect as she had fooled the public, other Justice Lord's, and her own parents into thinking. She harbored strong emotions that people would never think lied behind her collected face. She had been training, pushing herself to her limits and he knew why.

He wasn't stupid, contrary to popular belief. He knew how his parents and the other Justice Lords kept everything so "perfect." They used forced, brutality when they had to. Fear wasn't a foreign method either. The six of them did whatever was necessary to keep the peace, no matter what it took. He hadn't noticed just how wrong it was until she and her mother had visited him and his mother.

While the two women talked, the nine and eleven year old respectively had gone off on their own to his room. She had been noticeably off that day and it wasn't until he asked her what was the matter that he found out why.

She had confessed to what she had been doing since she was in kindergarten and what she had seen in the Batcave. He too was horrified at what her father had done to his protégé. He felt a pang in his heart at the fear she must have been feeling when she saw the footage. Surely, she must fear for being found out or even defying her parents in anyway.

But to his shock she wasn't afraid. No, the girl in front of him was determined. She was determined to master fighting and get a handle on her powers. And she was determined to stop her parents and the other Lords once and for all. Somehow, he found himself right there with her.

Besides, perfection was overrated anyway.

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 **That's my little prologue. Please be sure to review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, you all seem to like this, so here's chapter two!**

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The woman's red lips were turned down as she contemplated the situation. "This will be hard," she admitted to her comrade. The woman was young, about fifteen, with long, dark hair and a muscular figure. She wore a black one-piece Kevlar suit and a domino mask over her eyes. "In fact, we might not get out of this alive." She turned to the man next to her, smirking. "You sure you're up for it?"

He scoffed. "Would I still be here if I wasn't?" he retorted dryly. He was taller than the woman by a good three inches. The man was around fifteen and wore and a black and silver armor-like suit with a bird-shaped engraving and two wings behind him along with a matching helmet. He was quite muscular as well, looking massively built compared to her smaller frame. His mouth formed a grim line. "Do you think they'd really kill us?"

The woman's white lenses narrowed. "Yes," she answered, venom evident in her voice. "I saw my father murder Hood. If he can do that, what's to stop him, _all_ of them, from doing the same to us?" She sighed. "I'm sorry, Warhawk. I know you love your parents."

"And I know you love yours," Warhawk retorted. "Renegade, you used to _idolize_ them." He looked away from her. "We both did. But what they do is wrong. I know that, _you_ know that."

Renegade crossed her arms. "Of course I do. Why do you think I'm doing this?"

"You really think he'll help us?" Warhawk asked, changing the subject.

Renegade bit her lip. "He _has_ to." Her tone was more hopeful than anything. She cautiously opened the window, slipping in silently as Warhawk followed her. Almost immediately, loud sirens blared in their ears as red lights flashed. Before they knew it, they were both caught in a net. Despite this, both remained calm. "Wow. Cliché much?"

A man entered the room. He had short, dark hair and tired, ragged, cerulean blue eyes. "Who are you?" he demanded. "And why are you here?"

Renegade looked at him, not knowing quite how to approach this situation. "Are you Richard Grayson?" she asked tentatively.

The man's eyes narrowed. "Who wants to know?"

Renegade peeled off her mask, revealing twin sapphire pools. "My name is Celeste Wayne," she said. "and we need you help."

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"You took a risk coming here, you know," Grayson told them, handing each teenager a cup of coffee. "Not only for me, but yourselves. Especially in those suits. Vigilantes were banned by the Lords years ago. Arrow, Canary, Huntress, Vixen, myself. and all the rest were forced to retire or face the consequences. Even if you are their kids."

Celeste nodded. "We're well aware, Mr. Grayson. But we're not asking you to fight with us."

"Then why did you come?"

Celeste looked at Rex, who had stayed relatively quiet, then back at the man in front of her. "You were the first Robin," she began. "Father took you in as his son. You probably knew him better than anyone." She leaned in close. "What are his weaknesses?"

Grayson studied her. "You sure you want to know? He _is_ your father."

Celeste's face was hard as she looked at him. "And what if I get less than a ninety eight on a test one day?" she challenged. "Or I'm a minute late for curfew? Or I don't get valedictorian in senior year? Or they catch me here, in this costume, talking to you? What do you think they'll do? Ground me?" She shook her head. "I wish."

Grayson had to admit, she had a point. He remembered the day that Bruce killed Jason, something he could never forgive him for. What's to stop him and Diana from doing the same to the girl in front of him?

"We have a plan," Celeste continued. "Or should I say, _Father_ has a plan. He set up a failsafe, each of the Lords' weaknesses. He explains, quite thoroughly, how to neutralize all of them." She paused. "except himself. That's why we need your help."

"Do you mean to kill them?"

Celeste looked appalled. "Of course not," she insisted, somewhat insulted.

Rex gave him a look. "We're not our parents," he snapped, speaking up for the first time. "If we killed them, we'd be no better. We need to lock them away from the world, somewhere that they can't do anything, where they have no power."

Celeste nodded in agreement. "We know what they do is wrong," she said softly. "We just want to make things right."

Grayson stared at them for a while before inhaling deeply. "The best way to get to Bruce is to mention his parents," he told them. "Tell him things like they'd be disappointed to see what he's become and all that."

Celeste frowned. "It sounds like a low blow, but..." She nodded. "We'll have to do it. Thank you, Mr. Grayson." The two teenagers got up and moved towards the window. Celeste's heart pounded with anticipation. They were really going to do this. They were finally going to free humanity from the Justice Lords' grip once and for all.

She was finally going to avenge Jason Todd.

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"Celeste, have you finished all your homework?"

"For all this month, Mother."

"Are you ahead of everyone in your class?"

"By eons, Father."

This was how a typical family dinner (if her parents ever made it) in Wayne Manor went. The three of them would sit at the large table and discuss how her day went. Or, more specifically, that she remained perfect and that there were no slip-ups. _If they only knew..._

Her mother gave her a small nod. "Now that's what I like to hear," she said proudly. "Will you be voted Student Body President again this year?"

"One can only cross one's fingers, Mother."

Bruce chuckled. "I don't know, Diana. I think she's getting too smart."

Though this comment was seemingly harmless, it put Celeste on edge. Did he know? Was this his way of telling her that he knew she was becoming a threat? Was he going to kill her? Instead of freaking out and letting her emotions get the best of her, Celeste forced a smile. "Naturally, Father."

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Celeste ran over everything in her head again. This plan had to go off without a hitch. She recalled what her father had said in that video: Martian Manhunter's main weakness was fire, but a small flame wouldn't quite do. It would have to be a large amount, but not enough to kill him. The best way to take down Superman was with a Kryptonite bullet, preferably shot in the leg. Hawkgirl, while stronger than the average human and a skilled fighter, was very temperamental. Distracting her with words was the best way to catch her off-guard.

Green Lantern would be difficult. He was a former Marine, which meant that he was always focused. But he could be beat by snatching his ring and knocking him out before he has the chance to call it back. Wonder Woman was probably the hardest. She had no specific weakness, but there was a way to beat her. A special serum that would give her hallucinations and increase her adrenaline to a dangerously high point with the more movement she did. And finally, the last was her father. They would have to hit him where it hurts, right in the heart. Hopefully, that would distract him enough so that they can take him down.

They were really going to go though with this. If they failed, they would likely be killed. If they succeeded, things would never be the same again.

OoOoOo

Well, this was, to put it lightly, an unexpected turn of events.

Celeste was preparing herself when, what do you know, all four of the other Justice Lords, and Rex of course, come knocking at her door. Apparently, her father had called them for a meeting. While they went down to the Batcave, Celeste dragged Rex to her room. "What is this all about?" she hissed.

"I have no idea," Rex admitted. "I was hoping you knew."

Celeste bit her lips nervously. "Do you think they know?" she asked.

"I don't think so." Rex looked away from her. "Then again, what do I know?"

Celeste pursed her lips before typing something on her computer. "There," she said. "Now we can hear everything they're saying."

 _"What is this?"_ asked Green Lantern. _"Some old video of us?"_

 _"Except we never had a fight like this with Luthor,"_ Wonder Woman reminded him.

 _"You're right,"_ said Batman. _"_ We _never did. But_ they're _having one. Right now."_ Celeste and Rex looked at each other in alarm. Who were these people and why did their parents mistaken them for themselves?

 _"They?"_ demanded Hawkgirl.

 _"We're looking at another dimension,"_ Batman informed them. Another dimension? Was that even possible? _"Live."_

 _"It's just like ours,"_ Wonder Woman observed.

 _"Almost,"_ said Batman. _"But they're Flash is still alive."_ Who was Flash?

 _"So is their Luthor,"_ added Superman.

 _"There's something else,"_ Batman told them. _"They don't call themselves the Justice Lords. They're the Justice_ League _."_ The Justice League? Celeste liked the way that sounded.

 _"It's sad,"_ uttered Wonder Woman.

 _"Yeah,"_ agreed Green Lantern. _"Their world's the mess ours used to be."_ She didn't like the sound of that.

 _"Too bad we can't help them,_ _"_ commented Hawkgirl.

 _"Who says we can't?"_ challenged Batman.

 _"You've been a busy little bat, haven't you?"_ commented Superman. Oh god. She _really_ didn't like the sound of that.

 _"What else is there to do around here anymore?"_ replied Batman.

 _"This can take us into that other dimension?"_ asked Green Lantern.

 _"If we decide to use it."_

 _"Why_ wouldn't _we?"_ Hawkgirl asked.

 _"You're talking about helping them, but would they accept it?"_ Batman pointed out. _"_ Our _kind of help."_ There was silence after that.

"Oh my god," whispered Celeste. "They're going to..."

Rex nodded. "They're going to invade that dimension," he finished. "And they're going to make it just like this one."

"Damn it!" shouted Celeste. "All of our plans, ruined!"

"Maybe not," said Rex.

"You're right," Celeste agreed. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

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 **I hope you liked it. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Please enjoy.**

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Celeste groaned. "The portal my father built must be jamming my signal," she assumed. She furiously typed on her laptop. "Ugh! It's not working! Alright then, plan B." She typed some more. An image of the Batcave and their parents showed up on the screen. "Not what I wanted, but it'll have to do for now. Let's see what they're up to."

"Are those the security cameras?" asked Rex. "Why didn't you do that before?"

Celeste didn't take her eyes off the screen. "Because the footage doesn't have any sound," she told him. "If we had been watching earlier, we would have had no idea what was going on. Now, it's the complete opposite. We need the footage, not the audio."

"How could you possibly have known that?"

Celeste smirked. "I didn't." She squinted. "Why is there a giant metal box in the middle of the cave?" There was indeed a cub-like structure with the Justice Lords were seemingly monitoring it.

Rex mimicked her. "Wait, zoom in right there."

Celeste obliged, zooming in on one of the screens. "They look like the Lords," she observed. "Only, different and wait," She pointed to a certain spot where a man was wearing a red and yellow suit. "who is _that_?"

"Your dad mentioned something about someone called Flash still being alive," Rex reminded her. "That could be him."

Celeste nodded in agreement. "I think you're right." She winced as the Lords' doppelgangers were electrocuted. "That doesn't look good." She couldn't help but smile as the other Hawkgirl used her mace to redirect the lightning from herself and onto the wall, forcing it apart. Unfortunately, their Green Lantern shot her with a blast from his ring, effectively rendering her unconscious.

Rex involuntarily flinched at how easily his father was able to hurt someone who looked identical to his mother. He glanced at Celeste and knew that there was no way he could fight her mother, the just looked too much alike. "This puts a lot of holes in our plans, you know. The Lords are all together now, we can't take them on with just the two of us."

Celeste bit her lip. "Maybe we won't have to. If we can somehow free this 'Justice League,' then maybe _they_ can help us."

"That's a pretty big if," Rex commented. "You know security will be tight."

Celeste looked up at him, her sapphire orbs boring into his emerald ones. "I'm willing to take that chance," she said seriously.

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"Let's go over this again," Celeste suggested. "Father is holding this 'Justice League' at the containment unit not too far from here while the rest of the Lords take over the other world. In order to free mankind in both worlds, we need their help. So, we get in, bust them out, free Hawkgirl from Arkham, and then come up with a plan together. But remember, the Lords could be back at any minute, so don't engage."

Rex nodded, putting his helmet on. "Right. Let's do this."

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Renegade and Warhawk his in the air vents, watching Batman study his counterpart. They were waiting for him to move on so that they could break the Justice League out. "One question," said the doppelganger. " _Why_?" Renegade was momentarily startled. These men were very similar, yet still very different at the same time. Her father crossed lines that she had a feeling his counterpart never would. Respect for the stranger filled her heart.

"Because you and your friends couldn't do what needed to be done," Lord Batman answered. He turned away. "There are mercury switches at your hands and feet. Any motion and I'll know about it." Well, there went their plans. There was no way they could bust them out without alerting her father. They would have to wait and see if this Justice League could break themselves out.

"You've thought of everything."

"No," replied Batman. "Just everything you'll ever think of." And with that, he walked away from the doppelganger.

The man they assume to be Flash was struggling against his binds. "What are you looking at?!" he demanded when he saw Batman watching him. "Huh?!"

"Calm down," Lord Batman said almost gently, which surprised her. He never used that tone with her. "You'll appreciate this someday."

"Yeah?" snapped Flash. "I don't think Hawkgirl's gonna appreciate it too much."

" _That_ was an accident," Lord Batman assured him. _Accident my ass,_ thought Renegade and Warhawk at the same time. "She's at out best hospital now and-"

Flash turned his head away. "I don't wanna hear it."

"Believe me," said Lord Batman. "the last thing we want is to lose another-" And suddenly, the pieces all fell into place. The Justice Lords used to be like the Justice League. Until one of their own, Flash, died. That's what made them finally cross the line.

"Another what?" asked Flash. Batman stared at him for another moment before stalking down the hall, out of view.

"Ren," whispered Warhawk. "We should do it now, while he's away from them. He'll see us, sure, but it's better we break them out now than wait for the Lords to get back."

Renegade shook her head. "No," she insisted. "I want to see what these guys can do." They listened to Flash and the other Batman talk for a while before the latter claimed that he didn't have a plan. Flash seemed to think about this before he started to struggle and thrash violently before his body went limp. Soon enough, her father ran in.

"Flash!" Lord Batman shouted. " _Flash!_ " Without a second thought, he unlocked Flash's binds.

As soon as he did so, the speedster punched him multiple times in the face, rendering him unconscious. He then proceeded to free himself and put Lord Batman in his place. "You'll appreciate this someday." After that, he freed his teammates and they discussed what to do next concerning Hawkgirl.

"You need to find out which one she's in and get there before they hear about this," said Batman.

Renegade smirked to herself as she and Warhawk began to make their way towards the Justice League's area. Just as she suspected, they were resourceful-extremely so. Just the help they needed to end the Lords' reign of terror.

"This is _your_ city," Superman pointed out. "You know the hospitals better than we do."

Batman turned sharply. "I've got a portal to find," he told them.

"I'll go with you," Martian Manhunter offered.

"Sorry, I have to do this alone," Batman insisted. And with that, he was gone.

"Great," muttered Flash. "There are dozens of hospitals in Gotham, how will we find out which one she's in?"

Renegade and Warhawk touched down in front of them. "I think we may be of assistance." The Justice League was immediately on their guard. "Relax, we're the good guys."

"The _Justice Lords_ claim to be the good guys too," Green Lantern told them, his eyes untrusting. "How do we know we can trust you?"

"For all we know, this could be another one of their tricks," added Wonder Woman, her smoldering gaze burning into them.

"No tricks, I promise." Renegade pointed to Lord Batman. " _He_ is my father. And ever since I was nine, I've been working to bring him and the other Justice Lords down." Lord Batman looked shocked at the revelation, but she ignored him.

Superman's eyes narrowed. "You mean kill them?"

Warhawk glared his response. "Of course not," he said defensively. "We're not them."

Renegade put a calming hand on his shoulder. "Look, I can understand why you don't trust us. Why would you? Ever since you came here, you've been tricked and lied to." She came closer to them. "But we want what's best for out world and what the Lords are doing isn't right and they need to be stopped. Even if two of them are my parents..." Her voice broke off and she promptly cleared her throat. "Hawkgirl is being held at Arkham Asylum. And when you get there, be wary. The Lords have eyes and ears everywhere."

Martian Manhunter's eyes glowed for a second, before reverting back to their original color. "She is telling the truth," he said.

"You'd better come with us," suggested Flash. "You know the city and the Justice Lords."

Renegade looked at Warhawk as they seemed to silently have a conversation with each other. "Okay," Warhawk agreed. "We'll go with you." Renegade knew leaving her father unguarded for the other Lords to find was a poor decision on her part, but what choice did she have? If her and Warhawk were to stay, they were sure to be overpowered and killed by the Lords.

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The seven of them then touched down in front of Arkham Asylum. Flash began to walk towards the building before Superman grabbed his shoulder. "Wait here," he instructed. "You're dead, remember?"

"Hey, the costumes will tip them off anyway," Flash pointed out.

"We'll just say it's a fashion choice," Wonder Woman decided.

"We'll stay here with you," offered Renegade. "Vigilantes were outlawed a long time ago, so we would look suspicious as well." The other four nodded and flew into the hospital. _I hope this works._

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 **So, that was chapter three. I feel like I rushed through, but what do you think? Please let me know with a review! Until next time guys!**


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